Sony RX100 review

[nickname]

and another one:

[img]http://www.eoshd.com/comments/uploads/inline/20582/503d479a33558_rx100raw1600.jpg[/img]

[nickname]

for me it´s too close to my s95 and too far from g1x.

i especially don´t like the rendering of the out of focus areas in the dpr samples. they look strangely muddy. maybe the jpeg engine trying to sharpen blurred detail? it actually looks dreadful.

but a very impressive little thing none the less.

[Zach]

This video here mentions he had problems with overheating every 15 minutes or so. Has anyone else had a problem with this? I really do need the 30 minute record time, as I was planning on buying one of these as a B-cam for some wedding footage

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HZ9m845DFYI

[jgharding]

I've never shot anything that long with it, just B-roll for promos, but yes it does get warm after a lot of video use.

[Blackmurli]

[quote name='Zach' timestamp='1346744018' post='17269']
This video here mentions he had problems with overheating every 15 minutes or so. Has anyone else had a problem with this? I really do need the 30 minute record time, as I was planning on buying one of these as a B-cam for some wedding footage
[/quote]Hi there,

Somehow I tend to confirm that a bit. I wouldn't call it overheating but while filming a concert the cam got quite warm.
I had two sony original batteries with me. Both were fully loaded and I just managed to do about an hour with them.
So I was a bit disappointed because I couldn't do the rest of the concert with my RX but instead had to switch over to my hx9v.

[Zach]

Thats a little bit of a bummer. I was going to get one in addition to a GH3 - depending on its performance. Maybe i'll just pick up a GH2 as a b-cam for the GH3

[Blackmurli]

[quote name='Zach' timestamp='1346770013' post='17293'] Maybe i'll just pick up a GH2 as a b-cam for the GH3
[/quote]Certainly a good idea for more than one reason.
Of course gh2 gets warm too but I think RX a little bit more.

[Zach]

[quote name='Blackmurli' timestamp='1346778625' post='17299']
Certainly a good idea for more than one reason.
Of course gh2 gets warm too but I think RX a little bit more.
[/quote]

Yeah, its definitely more versatile and I can share lenses between the GH2 and 3 if I have both. Though, the idea of having a camera as small and portable as the RX100 is so appealing to me.

[Blackmurli]

[quote name='Zach' timestamp='1346780170' post='17303']
Though, the idea of having a camera as small and portable as the RX100 is so appealing to me.
[/quote]And that's why I love the RX.

[Zach]

I have a bit of a request from someone that has access to RX100. I am seriously interested in buying one, but am interested to see how it looks on talking head type interviews. I do a lot of documentaries and a lot of 'monthly news' for non-profits. Just need to see how it handles skin tones and such, and how it would look rendered to 24p. Anyone aware of any such footage or able to take some? Even a picture would of a well lit face would be helpful

[DPC]

This might be of interest...

https://vimeo.com/49063093

[DPC]

If anybody is still reading this...

I bought one for a specific purpose: I do a lot of reportage work in very low light. I need a good balance of high ISO, fast lens, stabilization.
There are things I can't shoot with my 5D MK III or even my NEX 7.

I haven't been disappointed by the RX 100 (used on two jobs so far) but there are a few things I would have liked to have known before I bought it.

The Zacuto Z finder and Gorilla Plate work very well but you need to make some kind of spacer to raise the camera. You also need to remove one of the bottom screws to be able to slide the mounting frame far enough to the left.

There is no histogram in movie mode! This is a real pain for me because that's how I expose. Using a flat picture profile makes exposing by eye harder too. The only option (if you want to use the histogram) is to set your exposure in photo mode and then switch over to video.

There is no punch-in manual focus in video mode. There is no AF-S mode either. Just AF-C or manual. There is, however, a very efficient object tracking mode. Focus peaking is pretty hopeless: in low light just about everything appears as a contrasty edge. You just can't rely on it to focus precisely at 1.8.

The 1.8 at 28 mm becomes rapidly 2.8 at 35 mm EFOV.

Setting custom white balance requires going into the main menu. It is not one of the ordinary white balance options. With my NEX7 I can quickly take out a grey card and set a custom white balance in a matter of seconds. Much slower with the RX 100.

Although you can drop the ISO to 80 in photo mode, in video the lowest is 125.

Changing the battery or card requires dismounting the camera from whatever support you have it on.

The battery life is very good indeed. There is no charger provided. You have to charge the battery in the camera.

The zoom mechanism isn't really smooth enough to use it while filming. Also, in video mode, the first part of the zoom is mechanical and the second digital. There is a clear difference in zoom quality between the two with a bump as digital takes over from mechanical.

I'm still looking for an acceptable way to add ND filters. Ideally I would like to have some kind of small matte-box like system in front of the lens, perhaps attached to the gorilla plate.

Finally, the RX 100 - because of the increased depth of field due to the smaller sensor) will have a much more "video" look when mixed in with footage from, say, a NEX 7 or 5D MK III.

Hope that's of use to somebody!

[Zach]

[quote name='DPC' timestamp='1348319244' post='18897']

I haven't been disappointed by the RX 100 (used on two jobs so far) but there are a few things I would have liked to have known before I bought it.


Hope that's of use to somebody!
[/quote]

Very much so, I'm thinking about buying simply because I hate lugging a DSLR everywhere. Do you have any footage you can share with us?

[DPC]

Sorry, nothing I can share at the moment. Editing will be next week and these are private corporate events and I don't have permission to share.

I forgot to add to my list-

(1) The fact that the camera only shoots 50 FPS. I haven't decided if this is a problem or not. In the absence of an ND filter it helps in bright light.

I've been experimenting using 1/50 sec shutter in lower light and then dropping the 50 FPS footage in a 25 FPS timeline. I think this should look the same as if I had been able to shoot at 25 FPS in the camera.

(2) That in the flexi-focus mode (I can't remember its actual name) I have the same problem as with my NEX 7: I think the focus area is too large. Certainly too large to focus precisely the lens open at f 1.8.

(3) [url="http://lensmateonline.com/articles/products/lensmate-sony-rx100-quick-change-adapter-kit/"]http://lensmateonline.com/articles/products/lensmate-sony-rx100-quick-change-adapter-kit/[/url] seems to me to be the most promising solution for fixing an ND filter to the lens.

[kodiak150@yahoo.com]

Hello sir, I love your video Berlin Vignette and was so impressed with the image quality that I purchased the camera. I have had the rx100 now for two months and all the video that I shoot is extremely noisy, full of grain, compared to your video. I was wondering if you could tell me what settings you were on during this shoot. Any information would be greatly appreciated. Thank you for your time. Sincerely, Tyler

[Zach]

[quote name='DPC' timestamp='1348341112' post='18921']


I've been experimenting using 1/50 sec shutter in lower light and then dropping the 50 FPS footage in a 25 FPS timeline. I think this should look the same as if I had been able to shoot at 25 FPS in the camera.

(3) [url="http://lensmateonline.com/articles/products/lensmate-sony-rx100-quick-change-adapter-kit/"]http://lensmateonlin...ge-adapter-kit/[/url] seems to me to be the most promising solution for fixing an ND filter to the lens.
[/quote]

This has been my biggest question regarding the camera.

Thanks for that link! I'm about ready to purchase

[jgharding]

Couple of quick tips: you can switch to manual focus instantly, if you custom assign a button to it. I mapped the left direction button to it, now this switches between autofocus and manual, changing the ring between aperture and focus. Very useful!

White balance can also be assigned to a key. I have the right direction set to ISO, and have white balance as the first option in FN. quick access to everything! ;)

[jgharding]

Also, try 1/100 shutter speed. Should give a little more filmic motion back at 25p, though a little less blur.

[DPC]

Could you explain why 50 FPS @ 1/100 dropped into a 25 FPS timeline (in Premiere) would give a more filmic look than if I shoot at 50 FPS @ 1/50?
I suppose I'm trying to understand(1) if dropping every other frame from 50 FPS is the same as shooting 25 FPS natively and (2) if Premiere simply drops half the frames when I use 50 FPS footage in a 25 FPS timeline.

The footage I have shot at 50 FPS @ 1/50 looks OK to me in a 25 FPS timeline, but then so does stuff shot at 1/100...

[Rungunshoot]

I've been shooting with the RX100 for a couple weeks and would like to submit a few of my samples here:

Lowlight footage:
[url="https://vimeo.com/50587334"][media]http://vimeo.com/50587334[/media][/url]

Using the RX100 as a handheld "steadicam":
[media]http://vimeo.com/50493691[/media]

Chronicling the Hollywood nightlife with RX100:
[media]http://vimeo.com/49147544[/media]